For several hours, ex-minister of interior e.i police, secret service, national security in collaboration with the ministry of defence and secret services; I re-iterate that for several hours ex-minister of interior defended himself towards accusations he’s been in trail for 3 years so far, what attracted my attention was he spent this time telling secrets day by day of the events of January 25, 2011 revolution or what was named revolution. I’m not going to talk about this revolution or not, but the facts that are being slowly unfolded.
Testimony
M. Habib Ibrahim Habib El Adly ex-interior minister speaking of stand up and demonstrations that occurred in Egypt prior to 2011 reminded me with something I had almost forgot.
When I left Egypt late eighties with the intention to immigrate, deep inside myself I never admitted leaving Egypt this is it I’ll never be back, I left lots of doors half opened, one of them was my job as a programmer I was in special non paid leaf so when I was laid off my job in Antigua I thought why not go back to your job better than staying jobless!
I had a few visits to Egypt whenever I had the opportunity, but usually I used my annual vacations and holidays to explore new places until 2000 when I was laid off.
Since 2000 after my best friend stole my house that I had left in his care I decided to have again a house in Egypt, -and by the way still looking for one- my friends helped me rent a house that had no address or district, I knew how to navigate my way to it but could never tell someone I’m going this address!
For this reason I used to stay a week or so in a hotel till I find a transportation that would accept to take me to that unknown place!
Upon one of those visits around 2008-2009 I witnessed what I’m about to testify; but first let me explain my visit off 2000 with the intention to resume my old job was a complete disaster, I was faced with backs and backs of moneys and dues like if I was in a petrodollar country accumulation dollars to show off when back in Egypt! The fact is I had a job and a life I was not accumulating money to go back show off but just making my life with my family!
The second set back was the work environment, the place that taught me computers, it’s computers were seriously in an awful shape, the idea of resuming my job dropped dead!
However, the nostalgic ties to Egypt weak up strongly and my visits become more and more frequent!
Back to 2008-2009 visit I do not recall the exact time most likely was late Autumn early winter as I always leave Egypt prior to Christmas to celebrate it with the family, my stay in the hotel was facing the hight court of July street! Not being a permanent resident in Egypt all I knew was what any stranger would learn and know about Egypt and life in Egypt, and what really attracted my attention was the demonstration of the strongest girl in Egypt -or something by that meaning on Youtube, shown upon the events of January 2011 and as one of the protesters of that event!- but as I said this took place sometime in 2008-2009 I saw it life from my hotel window!
The reason this event remained in my mind was that the people demonstrating would not exceed 10, most likely 5-8 no more remained all day shouting and cursing Mubarak and his regime once or twice during that time other demonstrators passed by stopped a few minutes repeated same words then they continued their marsh, but was really amazing for me was the anti-riot police forces stood up there just about 3 of them at most 4 counting their commending officer they were facing the high court building most of the time like if they were sending a message “We are here to protect the court”, they looked relaxed enjoying the show of the strongest Egyptian girl demonstrator, only when other demonstrators were passing by they looked alerted like expecting troubles but soon when the others leave they go back relaxed!
This I saw it with my own eyes life, I testify with Habib your police officers never assaulted those demonstrators and this was my surprise because:-
1. What usually anti-riot police do with demonstrators
2. The bad reputation of police forces in Egypt
3. I heard with my own ears -but did not see the brutal vocabulary used by an officer in the midnight while checking on a suspect or a passing by guy he asked him for identification card but he either did not hear or was playing duff the attitude that provoked the officer to use that low class vocabulary however, I say not all people are angles neither made by Satan but this is the human nature.
Another issue, some other day I saw again with my own eyes, a police officer checking on some people who stood in a cue holding their ID cards to be checked and pass, the officer was alone, not too big muscles could be easily thrown away by 2-3 guys in the cue but did not happen indicating that people obey and officers acts professional and life goes on.
Now, back to the protest I saw life with my own eyes, not on Al Jezira or CNN neither BBC the matter that points clearly all three news networks are making news rather telling news; In Antigua & Barbuda the Island I lived in it most my life, a twine small tiny Islands that is 2 hours away from the United States 99% of its resources depend on them and the only source of news is CNN, in the United Kingdom BBC is the main source of news but because I used to live in France and love Paris, I look for France 24 as an alternative news source, and less biased to the Anglo-American view point, I recall upon the 1st Iraq war following Sadam’s invasion to Kuwait all Arab countries allowed the external interfere to a pure local Arabic dispute, including Egypt, France had its own views that I failed to explain I was focused on the poor Kuwait guys that were occupied by their neighbour and big brother that seemed to be heading to a dictatorship era that demolished this country until today.
Back to ex-minister of interior, unfolding facts, I used to oppose the emergency law in effect to face terrorism! My point of view was based on old memories of wrong doing, when people disappear and no one knows what happen to them then it turns out that National Security reasons saw in that person a clear and present danger and dealt with!
In this Ramadan soaps there was one by the name [Count Down] demonstrated the idea; When a respectful University genial professor caring about his students, finds one of his best students going down and tries to see the reason he discovers that the student faces financial problems and tries to help there for his bad luck or as the author of this soap wanted police comes to arrest that student and end up arresting the student and his professor moreover, in prison or the torture chamber he looses all dignity and his student who died due to tortures! This is what I thought of the emergency law to face terrorism, I saw it out of context, where the terrorist to use this law with them? Under this law I could be arrested on suspicious grounds of terrorism and prove you are not! If I’m a terrorist I want to be arrested by law face a specific charge I know my penalty and how long will stay in prison but emergency laws I stay in prison until the one that arrested me see I was for nothing and free me I’m totally under his mercy! This is what CNN and BBC tell us about emergency laws in Egypt they never told us they did apply them upon the riots in USA and UK and all other countries that faces emergencies and uses this law, they never told us our right to protest the arrest and require a court hearing that might free innocent people or renew custody for another 30 days by their end they review the case!
Lots of lies our poor Egyptian people heard over the past 3 years why just because as ex-interior minister Habib said other countries really hate us and hate the leading role of Egypt in Africa and the Arab world, or may be jealousy why Egypt and not us whatever the reason is they’ve all forgot that EGYPT WAS BLESSED BY GOD!
May God keep blessing Egypt and Egyptians till this hour of sorrow pass and Egyptians bring back Egypt to its feet!
